Reindeer
by Norwegianne
Summary: Bartlet's Christmas Party, a guy with horns shows up. AinsleyGraham.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything. unfortunately. I really want Graham.  
  
A/N: Sequel, of sorts, to "Make my wish come true". And although I intended the Christmas stories as single stories, they have some connection to each other, at least for now.  
  
Reindeer.  
  
Said Santa to a girl child "What would you like most to get?"  
  
Ainsley Hayes, the lone republican, looked out at the Bartlet's Christmas Party.  
  
She wasn't sure why she had been invited. All around her the people with whom she worked every day was spreading Christmas cheer around. All of them enjoying themselves and the company.  
  
She wasn't sure why she had accepted. The flirtation she and Sam had engaged in, basking in each other's superiority, was over.  
  
Sam Seaborn was now making pretty eyes at a redhead.  
  
And Ainsley?  
  
Ainsley was alone.  
  
"Here!" Donna came to the rescue. "Have a glass of champagne."  
  
"Thanks," she smiled gratefully. "So how're things?"  
  
"Like always. I don't think Josh will get me anything on my Christmas list. Two years ago, he was really sweet about it. Last year he collapsed."  
  
"If you don't think that he'll give you anything, why do you, if you don't mind me asking, give him one?"  
  
"God knows," Donna rolled her eyes. "I'm feeling a bit silly this time, because I went with the impulse of putting the one thing I really, really want on it."  
  
"Josh?"  
  
"Yeah," Donna took a drink of her own glass. "Is it that obvious?"  
  
"To everyone who looks."  
  
"I'm surprised the press hasn't got it, then."  
  
"To all who looks, and hasn't known the two of you since the beginning," Ainsley amended.  
  
"So what's on your Christmas list this year?" Donna's eyes widened as she took in the new arrival in the doors to the room. "Ainsley?"  
  
Ainsley didn't answer, she was too busy to appreciate the very handsome male, with reindeer horns.  
  
Said Santa to a boy child "What have you been longing for?"  
  
Graham Miller was feeling silly. His aunt had insisted that he should come to the party. His uncle had found the reindeer horns and insisted that he'd wear them.  
  
You didn't say no to the leader of the free world, even if he was your uncle by marriage. Especially when he had the power to send you to any military conflict that he wanted to.  
  
So here he was, in a suit, with horns on his head.  
  
Feeling silly.  
  
A quick glance over the room showed that there was a lot of people there. He saw a redhead he recognized from Sunnydale, a friend of Riley's.  
  
"Graham!" Three girls threw themselves over him.  
  
If only they hadn't been related to him.  
  
"You're here!" Zoey giggled. "You really have to meet Charlie, I can't believe you two haven't met yet."  
  
"And," Liz continued, picking up from where her sister left off. "I'm counting on you to tell Annie the evil of frat boys."  
  
"Liz, Annie's 14, frat boys aren't high on her list. Skaters, on the other hand." Ellie said, gleefully to her older sister. "We've missed you, Graham."  
  
"I never would have guessed. I've missed you, three."  
  
They giggled. He found himself laughing with them. Just when he thought Ellie was going to stop, she looked up, at his horns.  
  
"He really got you to wear them," she promptly burst into laughter.  
  
"Ellie, Uncle Jed have the authorization to send me to whatever military hell he chooses, for the next four years. Wearing Rudolph's horns for one evening isn't that high of a prize to pay for keeping on his good side."  
  
Zoey looked up at them.  
  
"I don't know about that. At least Carol's keeping the press out of this."  
  
"Where's CJ?" Graham wrinkled his forehead. "Isn't she supposed to be around on these things?"  
  
"She had to go to Los Angeles. A favor to a friend," a voice stated behind them. Graham turned around and looked at two women with blue eyes and blonde hair.  
  
"I don't think we've met. I'm Donna and this is Ainsley."  
  
"Graham's our cousin. Our favorite cousin," Zoey squealed. She'd managed to jump up on his back, and was expecting the traditional piggyback-ride.  
  
"With horns." The Donna woman grinned. "How did that happen?"  
  
"Presidential order," he grinned sheepishly at Ainsley. "I think I did something wrong, I don't know what. But I don't want to find out."  
  
"They look, in fact, quite, and I'm not saying this to be negative or anything, strange on you," Ainsley managed to get out in a nervous voice.  
  
"They probably do," Graham grinned. "But, so does my hunchback."  
  
"Hey," Zoey hit him. "Just for that you get to carry me over to Charlie."  
  
"I thought I was doing that anyway." He hoisted her up and grabbed her legs. "Nice to meet you, Donna. Ainsley would you, feel free to say no, would you like to go out to dinner later?"  
  
"Dinner?" Ainsley's eyes were blank until Donna pushed her in the back. "Yes, I believe I would like that very much."  
  
Graham was only vaguely aware that Ellie and Liz were high-fiving each other, as he piggybacked Zoey across the room.  
  
He was having dinner later with an attractive blonde who had a connection of sorts to his aunt and uncle.  
  
Maybe he would have to remove the horns. 


End file.
